Looking Back

130 Years Ago

December 3, 1892

H. A. Foster bought the Dimmick interest in the Pontiac Electric light plant last week. He already owned two-fifths of the plant and purchased the remaining three-fifths, it is reported, for $10,000.

The pump for the waterworks arrived Tuesday and will be placed in production at once.

Miss Ethel Slaughter and Miss Augusta Conerus left Tuesday for Valparaiso, Ind., where they will attend college.

Strawn — The saloons of this place tried to outdo each other with a free lunch Thanksgiving. Turkey, venison and bear was in abundance.

Cropsey — H. L. McCullough is driving a well for Seth Alford and is now down 145 feet and still pegging away.

Forrest — Al Phelps, of Fairbury, was stroking his silken mustache on our streets Thursday.

120 Years Ago

December 5, 1902

The 15 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Glinnen, living north of Fairbury, met with a peculiar accident last Friday. He was in a wagon and when he got out he stepped onto the back of a big, fat hog. His porkship was the worst frightened of the two and started out at a regular automobile pace. The boy was standing up and he kept his balance all right for about thirty feet before he fell. In falling both bones of his right arm were broken. Dr. Otis reduced the fracture.

Monday forenoon, George Cottingham and George Day were fixing up the coal house at the Free Methodist Parsonage and went into the barn to get a post. There was just one there and it was located in the center of the barn, supporting the hay loft. Thinking the loft had plenty of support without the post, they knocked it out, and down came the loft and about three tons of hay, which Phillip Hotaling had put in a few days previous. Neither of the gentlemen were seriously injured owing to the stalls catching and supporting the weight, but it was a narrow escape.

Fred Fendrick shipped 78 hogs to Chicago Monday, which averaged 325 lbs. and sold at the top of the market, $5.40 per hundred. Fred raised the hogs himself and drove them to town Monday. When the hogs came to the Indian Creek bridge they all turned around and backed across. Fred says they done that for good luck – for Fred.

110 Years Ago

December 6, 1912

William Judd, the well known retired farmer of Cropsey, met with a bad accident Monday while helping roof a corn crib on the farm of John Helmers, north of Cropsey. Mr. Judd was working at the very top of the roof when he slipped and rolled off the roof and fell to the ground. His left leg was broken above the knee; he dislocated his right shoulder and cut a bad gash in his forehead. Dr. Otis of this city was called and fixed him up. His injuries will lay him up for some time.

Miss Maude Powell entertained ten of her friends at a weekend house party at her home near Forrest. The house was tastefully decorated with yellow chrysanthemums. Saturday evening a four course dinner was served. The table decorations carried out the color scheme of yellow and white, chrysanthemums being given as favors. The guests were requested to draw the ribbons which were attached to white silk bags concealed beneath the centerpiece. On letting the cat out of the bag they found that it announced the marriage of Miss Powell to Mr. Jesse Brickey which is to occur Dec. 26.

One of the worst freight wrecks in the history of the Wabash system occurred at Cardiff at 2:20 on Sunday morning, December 1, when a north bound fast freight train jumped the track in front of the passenger station, crashed through the station, setting fire to it and burning it to the ground, together with the Cardiff Hotel adjoining the station. Besides, the eight cars of fine stock consigned to the Chicago market were also burned. Several from Wing and vicinity went to Cardiff Sunday to see the wreck.

100 Years Ago

December 1, 1922

A special meeting of the city council was held Wednesday afternoon, all the council being present with the exception of the mayor. In the absence of Mayor Foster, Alderman Goembel acted as mayor pro tem. The meeting was called to look into the bids that had been received for the new pump that will be installed at the waterworks. The bids ranged from $800 to $1,000. The matter will be brought up for action at the next regular meeting of the council.

Wing people were rejoiced Monday morning, the 27^th, to see and hear the good old milk train once more. It has been several months since we have heard her bell and whistle and it was sure welcomed by everyone. This train gives Wing more service than any other train on the road.

Too abrupt dimming of automobile headlights is a menace to the driver on account of the sudden change from brightness to darkness, and a headlight controller is now being manufactured that enables the driver to dim the lights gradually to any degree necessary. The hands of the driver never being off the steering wheel, a touch with one finger is all that is necessary to dim the lights as gradually as desired.

90 Years Ago

December 2, 1932

Wednesday evening just as Charles Bussard was checking out of the C.I.P.S. Company's office, the last day of his service there, he was presented with a floor lamp, with a combination of attachments for the comfort of a smoker, as an expression of a genuine feeling of friendship from the Chatsworth, Forrest and Fairbury forces.

The Fairbury Rotary Club, with the assistance and cooperation of the entire community will again be Santa Claus to the children of this city and vicinity. This was decided at the meeting of the Rotary Club on Monday when the club voted $100 as a nucleus for a fund to finance the project.

Tuesday fifteen wagons manned by about forty good corn huskers cleaned up a 35-acre field of corn for Ed Huber, Jr. Mr. Huber has been laid up all fall and was beginning to feel a little anxiety lest bad weather should come on before he was able to garner his crop. The volunteer army made quick work of it, cribbing around 800 bushels and worked up husky appetites that did as thorough a job of cleaning up on the fine dinner ten neighbor women had helped to prepare for them.

80 Years Ago

December 4. 1942

During the past week this vicinity has been visited by a heavy snow and zero weather, reminders that winter is here. They did not arrive at the same time, but they arrived and everyone knew it. The snow started early last Saturday evening, and by Sunday morning it was seven inches deep. It was of the variety that clung to everything as it fell and it made a most fascinating and enchanting picture anyway you looked. The zero weather arrived Wednesday morning. A brisk wind blew all day, making residences and places of business hard to heat.

Mrs. Alpha Ferguson entertained nine children and their mothers on Wednesday afternoon in celebration of the fourth birthday of her daughter, Lois Kay. Mrs. Wade Simmons directed the children in games, and after the fun, refreshments were served.

F. M. Vail is unable to take daily walks down town since the first of the week, having a badly smashed foot from dropping a large lump of coal on that member.

70 Years Ago

December 4, 1952

Bill Harris escaped injury Monday evening when the telephone company truck he was driving slid into the ditch and overturned on Route 24 west of Forrest, as he was returning from Reddick. The truck was not badly damaged.

Negotiations are under way by the Chamber of Commerce for the obtaining of a lot here to be used as the building site for a new motion picture theatre. The move has ben made following a request by A. M. McCollum, owner of the Central theatre, which burned in June. Mr. McCollum had stated that if local businessmen indicated an interest in obtaining a new theatre through the securing of a more suitable lot than the present site of the theatre, then he would construct a theatre costing between $60,000 and $80,000.

Miss Lois Perkins is now employed at the Farmers National Bank, after resigning her position at The Blade office.

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Rieger and daughters and Miss Frances Auberle left late Wednesday for Sabetha, Kansas, to visit over Thanksgiving with their parents.

60 Years Ago

December 6, 1962

A $6,700 Ford tractor, with back hoe and front-end loader attachments, was stolen from the Fairbury Industries plant construction site east of Fairbury sometime early Saturday morning. The tractor belongs to Howard Arnold Construction, Inc., and was being used at the site Friday. Arnold told the Blade that the tractor was parked in a lighted area Friday evening and that he was offering a $500 reward for information leading to its recovery.

Fairbury firemen were called to the Ralph Romig sign shop Friday evening when an overheated stove pipe started a blaze inside the wall. Ralph had already doused the fire with a hose before firemen arrived. The Romig's son, Kenneth, cleaning ashes from the stove, had neglected to close the bottom stove door, causing the stove to overheat.

Pvt. Joseph A. Nimbler is now stationed at Fort Gordon, Ga., where he will be a military policeman. He finished his basic training at Ft. Knox, Ky., on Nov. 23. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alois Nimbler. Dale Barnes finished army basic training November 23 and is now attending communications school at Ft. Knox, Ky. He also completed basic there. Dale is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Barnes.

50 Years Ago

December 7, 1972

Chairmen have been named for three communities where on Monday a $30,000 campaign will get under way for financing to establish the South East Livingston County Ambulance Service. Chairmen and their pro-rated goals, based on population are Si Moser, Fairbury, Avoca and Belle Prairie, $20,000; Richard Haab and Robert Poole, co-chairmen, Forrest-Strawn-Wing, $5,000; Rev. Carl Fox, Chatsworth, $5,000. The Fairbury goal has already been given a major shove with a $5,000 donation from Pittsburgh-International Corp.

This will be a sad Christmas for many farmers. They produced record yields of the nation's leading cash crops – corn and soybeans, and the prices are the highest ever for such big crops. So, what's the problem? Excessive rains and snow have greatly delayed the harvest. Field losses of both crops may be heavy. Some families will have a financial disaster. Based on yields and conditions reported at the first of November, the USDA estimated record yields, but as of November 13, 51 percent of the nation's corn crop and 29 percent of the soybean crop was still in the fields.

Miss Burta Crouch, of Forrest, retired as librarian of the Forrest Township Library, at the library board meeting held Monday, Nov. 27. Her retirement is effective December 1. Miss Crouch has been associated with the library since January 30, 1940, when she joined Mrs. Alta Sorenson. Mrs. Sorenson resigned in May 1941. Burta was then named librarian. Mrs. Lilah Righter has been named librarian. She has been assistant librarian since September, 1967.

40 Years Ago

December 2, 1982

The proposed new swimming pool complex in Fairbury will be rebid, trustees of Prairie Lands Foundation have decided after rejecting the bids opened last week. Those bids were $100,000 over the $500,000 budget. The pool to replace the existing one is being funded with a $500,000 gift from Mrs. Floyd Stafford and the late Mr. Stafford of San Marcos, Calif., and originally of Fairbury.

Honeggers & Company, of Fairbury, saluted 24-year employee, Frank Pratt, Tuesday with a retirement luncheon. Honegger's president George Hawkins told the gathering that Pratt wasn't really leaving the company, but rather going "into a glide pattern" that would leave him available to help out in emergencies. Hawkins presented Pratt with a plaque, Richard Funk, executive vice president of Honeggers, gave Pratt the traditional gold watch and Pratt's co-workers presented him with a radio-tape player.

Teresa Leigh Waibel of Forrest and David Alan Pratt of Emington were united in marriage on Nov. 28, 1982 at the United Methodist Church in Cropsey. Rev. Wesley Osborn and Rev. John Kauffman officiated at the 3 p.m. double-ring ceremony. Parents of the couple are Eldon and Marge Waibel of Forrest and Owen and Betty Pratt of Cropsey. A buffet reception was held following the ceremony at the Apostolic Christian Fellowship Hall, Fairbury. After a wedding trip to the Smoky Mountains, the couple will reside in rural Emington.

30 Years Ago

December 3, 1992

Florence Day of Fairbury has been selected as Citizen of the Year by the Fairbury Jr. Woman's Club. She was chosen for the honor due to the large amount of volunteer work she does, said club spokesperson Carol Ely. Her name will be added to the Citizens of the Year plaque at Dominy Library, Fairbury.

A family owned Fairbury clothing store for 31 years has announced their 'quitting business' sale. Reuben Huber, owner of Huber's Clothing, said he is liquidating all of his inventory, but has no definite date of final closing. What began as a men and boys shop in the fall of 1962, grew to include speciality sizes of tall and large frame men's wear and expanded to include ladies wear and high school and college wear. Huber purchased the corner business from Marvin Huette, who had started a men's and boy's clothing store six to eight months earlier.

Twenty-one years after he was named Fairbury's first Man of the Year, Jim Roberts has been chosen this year's Grand Marshal for the annual downtown Christmas parade, sponsored by the Fairbury Association of Commerce. Roberts came to Fairbury from Aledo with wife Lois, and children, in March 1963, when he took over the helm of the Fairbury Blade. A past president of the Fairbury Rotary, Roberts was named Editor of the Year in 1977 by the Illinois Press Association. He is past president of the National Newspaper Association, the Illinois Press Association and the Southern Illinois Editorial Association. Roberts led The Blade to numerous journalistic-quality awards before relinquishing the title of publisher to his wife in 1986. The Roberts family sold their Cornbelt Press newspapers in 1990.

20 Years Ago

December 4, 2002

Dr. Nik Kothari, M. D., who practiced medicine for 30 years in Fairbury, before retiring Nov. 18, 2001, as been named Grand Marshal of the 2002 Fairbury Santa parade. Born in Damnager, India, Dr. Kothari attended Gokalibai P. O. High School in Bombay, India, graduating in March 1951. From 1951 to 1955 he attended the University of Bombay/Wilson College, where he received a Bachelor of Science Botany degree. From 1955 to 1962, he attended Bangalore Medical School at the University of Mysore. Then, he did internship/residency at St. George Hospital, Bombay, Mercy Hospital, Altoona, Pa. and Good Samaritan Hospital, Lexington, Ky., before returning to India, where he engaged in private practice from 1965 to 1969. In 1969, he returned to the United States to work at Fort Hamilton Hospital in Hamilton, Ohio, as House Physician for two years, until 1971. Dr. Kothari, who became a United States citizen in July 1986, was Chief of Medical Staff at Fairbury Hospital 1967-1977; 1981-1982; and 1994-1995.

Several members of the "Dave's Team" at Dave's Supermarket in Fairbury reached milestones this year, including, Mary Boruff, 10 years; Virginia Hardesty, 10 years; Cindy Miller, 15 years; Tonja Schauble, 20 years; Edie Moulton, 20 years; Lonnie Welch, 20 years; and Tim Yergler, 25 years.

Mariah Dunn and Evan Rieger are Miss Merry Christmas and Mr. Jack Frost for the 2002 Fairbury Christmas celebration set for Saturday. Mariah is the daughter of Brian and Teresa Dunn of Fairbury. Evan is the son of Jamie and Tina Rieger of Forrest.

10 Years Ago

December 5, 2012

Fifteen members of First Baptist Church in Fairbury recently returned from a mission trip to Leon, the second largest city in Nicaragua (about the size of Iowa) in the middle of Central America. One aspect of their trip was to provide medical care for those who have little or no access to it. This was led by Dr. Heather Schweizer and assisted by nurses Cindy Buchanan, Jackie and Meghan Dever, LoriLee Dunahee and Nikki Folk. Another aspect was to do a Vacation Bible School type program. With the help of translators, Sarah Brummitt led songs, Dave Buchanan and Jeff Schweizer led games, and Kelli Folk, Connie Haas and Jessica Huling taught a Bible lesson using puppets. Another aspect was offering haircuts and coloring to women, children and at least one man. Mary Beth and Ramie Crews cut or treated (often for lice) the hair of over 100 people. Pastor Steve Anderson was also along to provide spiritual care.

Jeremy and Abby Dockemeyer of Romeoville are the parents of a baby boy born at 1:56 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. Jack Charles weighed 9 pounds 15 ounces and was 21½ inches long at birth. Maternal grandparents are Cal and Ann Zimmerman of Forrest. Paternal grandparents are Gary and Julianne Dockemeyer of Reeds Spring, Mo. Maternal great-grandparents are Jack and Dorothy Trainor of Wing and the late Les and Edith Zimmerman. Paternal great-grandparents are John and Audrey Dockemeyer of Bourbonnais and Charles and Rose Gagnon of Bradley. Jack Charles was named after his two great-grandfathers.

Prairie Lands Foundation is issuing another challenge to area residents and businesses. The Foundation will match donations to assist two local organizations. Donations up to $2,500 for the Livingston County ISU String Project Fund and $15,000 for the SELCAS building project will be matched. The String Project challenge began Oct. 15 and the SELCAS match began Nov. 19. Donations made on or after those dates will be matched by the foundation through Dec. 31, or before if the challenge amount is met earlier. The source of the matching funds for donations is an endowment fund that was bequeathed to Prairie Lands Foundation by John and Tula Wade.

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Looking back, a history column on Fairbury from the pages of The Blade